15 Day American Cruise Lines River Cruise from Jackson to Hayden Island 2024

Day 1 Portland, OR

Arrive in Portland and settle into your hotel, located near the ship’s dock for a seamless boarding process. Situated between the waters of the Columbia and Willamette Rivers, the area's history is forever entwined with the fortunes of these great rivers.

Each Columbia and Snake Rivers itinerary comeswith a Hotel Stay, providing you with a seamless way to board the ship and explore the local area.

On the morning of the cruise, meet in the hotel lobby after breakfast and we will transport you to the ship to begin your cruise. All luggage will be brought directly from the hotel and placed in your stateroom aboard the ship.

Enjoy our Hells Canyon Flightseeing Adventure over, through, and around the Nez Perce's "land of the winding rivers." On this unforgettable narrated experience, soar over scenic rolling hills, crystal clear rivers, and abounding timbered wilderness as you learn about the region’s spectacular ecology, geology, and history.

This is a Signature shore excursion and should be reserved in advance. Please call (800) 894-8570 for information.

Day 2 Cruising the Columbia River

Board the ship and enjoy a day with Mount Hood and Mount St. Helens as your backdrop as we cruise to the mouth of the West’s most famous river.

In the golden age of riverboats, sternwheelers crossed the waterfront while steam whistles and calliopes rang out across the water. With its sparkling rivers, stately evergreens, and mild climate, you will understand why this area was noted as exceptional by explorer Meriwether Lewis.

Enjoy the scenery in the company of fellow guests in one of the spacious lounges or on the sun deck.

As you embark upon your journey, enjoy a Welcome Aboard Reception with cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and entertainment. Meet the crew, your onboard experts, and fellow guests. Learn more about the wonderful adventure ahead of you.

Day 3 Astoria, OR

Astoria is the oldest American settlement west of the Rockies. Colorful Victorian homes adorn the hillside that climbs steeply up from the river, earning it the nickname “The Little San Francisco.” Explore this remarkable town on your own or choose from a collection of well-curated excursions.

Step into history on a guided exploration to the National Park Service replica of Fort Clatsop, the 1805-06 winter camp of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Board a local red trolley to ride along the picturesque waterfront or savor the perspective from a bluff high above the city at the picturesque Astoria Column. Peruse the town’s quaint shops, galleries, wineries, and brew pubs. Or simply stroll off the ship to the nearby acclaimed Columbia River Maritime Museum.

Experience the Columbia River Maritime Museum on a self-guided excursion. The Columbia River Maritime Museum is the official maritime museum of the state of Oregon and also prides itself as being one of the finest maritime museums on the West Coast.

Activity Level: Low| ADA ACCESSIBLE: Yes

On this excursion, you will learn the history of the area while visiting Fort Clatsop, the site where the Lewis and Clark Expedition wintered in 1806. Explore the Visitor Center and take a walk outside to view the Fort that was built during this famous expedition.

Activity Level: Low| ADA ACCESSIBLE: Yes

Enjoy a scenic journey to Cape Disappointment State Park and visit the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center, situated high on the cliffs 200 feet above the pounding Pacific surf. A series of mural-sized “timeline” panels guide visitors through the westward journey of the Lewis and Clark Expedition using sketches, paintings, photographs, and the words of Corps members themselves.

Activity Level: Low| ADA ACCESSIBLE: Yes

Explore downtown Astoria on your own aboard this convenient shuttle which makes several stops on a continuous loop throughout the day including:

- Downtown Astoria - for shopping and exploring

- Heritage Museum - featuring Clatsop County’s rich and exciting history in permanent and changing exhibit galleries

- Astoria Column - a tower overlooking the mouth of the Columbia River, from which you can enjoy the majestic views of the countryside from land

- Flavel House Museum - once the home of Captain George Flavel, this 1885 Queen Anne home features original Eastlake influenced woodwork, period furnishings, and exotic hardwood

Activity Level: Low| ADA ACCESSIBLE: Yes

Your knowledgeable guide will greet you at the dock to begin your exploration along Astoria's Riverwalk. Enjoy views of the majestic Columbia River with cargo ships at anchor and constant river traffic. Continue along the main downtown street and view several excellent examples of early 20th-century commercial architecture, including the towering Astor Hotel and the highly ornate, terra-cotta clad Liberty Theater. Stroll along city sidewalks to the Garden of the Surging Waves, which celebrates the town’s Chinese history. Enjoy the Beaux Arts-style Clatsop County Courthouse and the former Clatsop County Jail, which is now the Oregon Film Museum. The jail, used from 1914 to 1976 is not only noted for being the longest used, freestanding jail in Oregon, but also seen in the many movies filmed here, most famously, The Goonies. Your excursion will end at the well-known Flavel House. Completed in 1886, it is considered one of the finest examples of Queen Anne Stick style architecture in the Pacific Northwest.

Activity Level: Moderate| ADA ACCESSIBLE: Yes

Day 4 Kalama, WA

From our convenient new dock at Kalama, Washington, enjoy the grand landscape of the Cascade Mountains scenic drive to view the remnants of nearby Mount St. Helens. A local guide enhances your understanding and shares the story of the volcano’s 1980 eruption and its impact on the environment and the lives of those in the area. Just off the ship dock, enjoy an expansive city park, unique local artwork throughout an impressive adjacent hotel, and an interesting interpretive center. Or venture out to a nearby family vineyard for an afternoon of wine tasting.

May 18, 1980 is a day etched into the history of the United States, as the powerful eruption of Mount St. Helens drastically changed the landscape of what is now referred to as the National Volcanic Monument. On your scenic journey to the Mount St. Helens, learn about the eruption, how it affected the landscape and surrounding communities, and how the environment has responded naturally to the disturbance. Admire spectacular views of the pumice plain and blast site.

Activity Level: Moderate| ADA ACCESSIBLE: Yes

Just a short walk from the ship, explore this new facility that celebrates Kalama’s unique place in Pacific Northwest history as a transportation and commercial hub, and is designed to replicate a traditional waterfront warehouse of the 1800s. Exhibits track Kalama’s first inhabitants, the Cowlitz Tribe, and the settlers that followed over the next hundred years, including renowned Oregon Trail writer Ezra Meeker. Displays illustrate how Kalama’s particular landscape gave birth to a booming transportation system, impacting the area both culturally and economically.

Activity Level: Low| ADA ACCESSIBLE: Yes

Day 5 Cruising the Columbia River Gorge

From the comfort of your private balcony, admire the magnificent bluffs of the Columbia River Gorge, covered in deep green forest and framed by picturesque hillsides that quickly ascend toward the sky. Windsurfers and kiteboarders adorn the landscape as they drift across the broad, shining river.

There are a variety of activities scheduled on board when the ship is underway, which vary depending on the itinerary and scheduled date. Enjoy destination-focused enrichment programs with special guest speakers who present topics related to the region and ports of call, including Art Classes, App-titude Classes (Tech Made Easy), Cooking Demonstrations, Mixology (practice of making great cocktails,) Trivia, Game Shows, and more.

Day 6 Stevenson, WA

Nearby attractions offer a day of diverse options. Stand in awe of the glorious Multnomah Falls as it tumbles 620-feet off mountains and down into the river. Visit the Bonneville Dam visitor’s center to ponder the wonders of hydroelectricity and explore the intriguing exhibits of the Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center Museum. Discover the village of Stevenson, easily accessible from our dock, offering small town charm and a unique Northwest flair. Or simply, sit on deck with a beverage and admire the grandeur of nature.

Plummeting 620 feet, Multnomah Falls is the second highest year-round waterfall in the nation. Experience the sights and sounds of this magnificent waterfall, fed by rain, snow-melt, and underground springs on Larch Mountain.

Admire the falls from the Visitor Center or take a short hike to Benson Bridge, one of the most photographed pieces of architecture in Oregon, to feel its misty spray and get a great photo.

Multnomah Falls also offers one of the best places in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area to view the basalt rock formations exposed by Ice Age Floods.

Activity Level: Moderate| ADA ACCESSIBLE: Yes

Enjoy a self-guided tour of the Columbia River Gorge Interpretive Center, which showcases the area's unique history and cultural diversity. From the Native American tribes that inhabited the gorgeto the expedition of Lewis and Clark and 19th-century loggers, learn of the bountiful life on the gorge as you explore this amazing museum.

Activity Level: Low| ADA ACCESSIBLE: Yes

Throughout your journey on the Columbia River, you will transit 8 locks, lifting the ship more than 700 feet vertically. Building upon the lectures of our onboard experts throughout the week, this excursion provides guests with an in-depth understanding of and appreciation for the engineering that enables the Dam to generate enough hydroelectric power to provide nearly 500,000 homes with electricity.

Activity Level: Low| ADA ACCESSIBLE: Yes

Experience this amazing guided excursion along a local river fed by blue aquifer melt from Mount Adams. Along the way, view eagles, herons, ospreys, ducks, fish, and occasional otters. Paddle up the mellow river, taking a break to swim and take photos. Gently float back down stream trying to spot as many fish as possible, finishing your journey with a scenic look down the Gorge.

Activity Level: High | ADA ACCESSIBLE: No

Day 7 Richland, WA

Best known for its beautiful countryside, legendary rodeo, fine woolens, and leather craftsmanship, Pendleton is a place where the heyday of the American Cowboy, as well as the best of western tradition and heritage lives on. Join our local guides on a lively look into Pendleton's infamous and entertaining past. Explore the network of underground tunnels created a century ago for illicit activities and learn about the rich culture of the area’s indigenous tribes at the Tamastslikt Cultural Institute.

Visit the REACH Museum and discover Eastern Washington’s rich landscape and history, from the Ice Age to the Atomic Age. Explore the featured galleries and rotating exhibits inside, as well as the amazing outdoor area with breathtaking views of the majestic Columbia River and surrounding scenery. Discover the geological impact of the Ice Age floods and basalt lava flows to the area. Learn about the Manhattan Project at Hanford and its continuous influence on the region. Continue to the 9-11 Memorial in Kennewick which is home to a 30 foot 6,000 pound steel column recovered from the World Trade Center Twin Towers, a sobering reminder of the tragic events of the day.

Activity Level: Low| ADA ACCESSIBLE: Yes

Explore this fascinating destination, located at the very place where Lewis and Clark Expedition camped for two nights, amidst a thriving community of Native Americans. Learn about the activities that took place at the site through interactive exhibits about the Corps of Discovery and Sacagawea, woman known for her helping the Lewis and Clark Expedition Team. Stroll the green, tree-shaded grounds, and read the seven story circle installations by internationally known artist Maya Lin.

Activity Level: Low| ADA ACCESSIBLE: Yes

Day 8 Cruising the Snake River/Clarkston, WA

On your way to Clarkston, cruise the legendary Snake River. Watch the remote wilderness and canyon hillsides glide by in ever-changing scenic panoramas. Admire the steep hillsides, dotted with white pelicans, osprey, bald eagles, cormorants, blue herons, and more.

Nestled in a handsome valley surrounded by steep hillsides, Clarkston embellishes the shoreline along the Snake River at the river’s confluence with the Clearwater River. Named for William Clark of the historic Lewis and Clark Expedition, Clarkston’s origin dates back to the late 1890s, tracing its roots to the Nez Perce, the Native American tribe that originally inhabited the valley. Venture to Hells Canyon for a boat ride or aerialflightseeing adventure, through the deepest canyon in North America, and let your senses run as wild as the landscapes of grand mountain peaks and vast reaches of remote wilderness.

What you won’t see are snakes, as the river doesn’t actually have snakes in it, but rather an abundance of salmon. While some believe the river was called the Snake is because its shape has many twists and winds, it is actually believed to have received its name from a Native American hand symbol.

Enjoy our Hells Canyon Flightseeing Adventure over, through, and around the Nez Perce's "land of the winding rivers." On this unforgettable narrated experience, soar over scenic rolling hills, crystal clear rivers, and abounding timbered wilderness as you learn about the region’s spectacular ecology, geology, and history.

This is a Signature shore excursion and should be reserved in advance. Please call (800) 894-8570 for information.

Explore the deepest canyon in North America and admire breathtaking scenery, including bighorn sheep, ancient rock formations, and Native American pictographs. Along the way, be treated to refreshments at a private ranch within the canyon.

Activity Level: Moderate| ADA ACCESSIBLE: No

Day 9 National Parks Adventure Begins

After breakfast and disembarking the ship, travel north to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho for a cruise on Lake Coeur d’Alene. Enjoy the spectacular scenery while enjoying a relaxing lunch on a private cruise.Travel to Kalispell for an overnight stay.

Day 10 Glacier National Park

After breakfast, we will begin our full day in Glacier National Park. Established as a National Park in 1910, the park features the unspoiled beauty of alpine meadows, deep forests, waterfalls, glistening glaciers, and sparkling lakes. Whether enjoying colorful Lake McDonald or iconic Going-To-The-Sun Road, there is natural beauty around every turn. Experts from Glacier Institute lead the way as they explain the history and geology of the park.

Conclude your daywith a delicious dinner at Russell’s Fireside Dining Room in the Lake McDonald Lodge.

Enjoy this full day adventure with transportation and narration by Glacier Institute, the educational partner of the park. Spanning 50 miles and crossing the Continental Divide, the main road through Glacier National Park is one of the top scenic drives in the United States.

Stop at points of interest and designated viewpoints to admire impressive glaciers, beautiful valleys, cascading waterfalls, towering mountains and colorful wildflowers. Along the way, enjoy lunch in Rising Sun, Montana, an eatery within the park.

Conclude your day with a delicious dinner at Russell’s Fireside Dining Room in the Lake McDonald Lodge.

Day 11 Travel Toward Yellowstone National Park

Travel through Montana toward Yellowstone National Park. Along the way, your Adventure Guide will provide narration and fun National Park activities.

We will stop for lunch in Butte, MT and a rest stop in the quaint town of Ennis, MT.

Delight in a stunning drive through the beautiful landscapes of Montana. Travel from a land of high mountains, deep valleys, and green forests to the plains, a vast horizontal sweep of yellow rangeland, golden grain fields, and brown harrowed strips. Along the way, your Adventure Guides will provide narration and fun National Park activies.

Day 12 Explore Yellowstone National Park

After breakfast at the hotel, spend a full day in Yellowstone National Park, the World’s First National Park, known for its unique hydrothermal and geological features. This nearly 3,500-sq.-mile wilderness recreation area is set atop a volcanic hot spot and is larger than the states of Rhode Island and Delaware combined, withover 290 waterfalls, including the impressive Upper Falls of Yellowstone River. Led by your Adventure Guides, explorethe Upper portion of Yellowstone's Grand Loop, including Lamar Valley. Stop at Norris Geyser Basin,Mammoth Hot Springs, and Tower Fall. Enjoy an exclusive catered dinner at Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel.

Terrace Mountain at Mammoth Hot Springs is the largest known carbonate-depositing spring in the world. From an easily walkable boardwalk trail, view this large complex of approximately 50 hot springs on a hill of travertine. Colors range from a pristine white to pink to dark red.

Explore Yellowstone National Park’s hottest and most changeable thermal area, making it one of the most extreme environments on the face of the Earth. Thanks to a combination of minerals and life forms, the colors are impressive too, ranging from milky blue to reddish orange. The views of this geological phenomena demonstrate the power of the Yellowstone Caldera and provide endless photo opportunities.

The drive to this amazing fall offers the opportunity to catch a glimpse of park wildlife, including as buffalo, elk, and black bear. Upon arrival, admire its magnificence and feel the misty spray as the fall plunges 132 feet to the rocks below.

Day 13 Experience Yellowstone National Park

Continue your adventures in Yellowstone,exploringthe lower section of the Grand Loop,Falls of Yellowstone, West Thumb, and Yellowstone Lake.

From the Canyon of Yellowstone to the largest lakes in the park, discoversections of the Yellowstone Caldera that werecreated 640,000 years ago and the West Thumb Caldera that erupted 174,000 years ago.

Throughout the day, you will experience the natural diversified beauty of the area and the wildlife who call it home. Enjoy lunch at Grant Village Dining Room and an evening of entertainment at Yellowstone Playhouse or Meadow Vue Ranch.

The awesome sight of this 109-foot cascade of surging water demonstrates its power and how the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone was created. The Upper Falls has stood the test of time as it flows over rocks, which are remnants of a lava flow and are resistant to erosion.

Discover the largest geyser area on the shores of Yellowstone Lake. Here, you can view Potts Basin, a very dynamic area, with dozens of geysers of all sizes. Abyss Pool is a hot spring in the basin, known for its impressive deepness and Fishing Cone a geyser that was named after nineteenth-century visitors would boil their freshly caught fish right in its center, a practice that is no longer allowed.

Day 14 Explore Yellowstone and Travel to Grand Teton National Park

National Parks Yellowstone is renowned for various hydrothermal features, and today provides the opportunity to see several of the most popular sites in the park, including Old Faithful and Biscuit Basin.

Depart for Grand Teton National Park, admiring the scenic views along the way and visit at Jackson Lake Lodge.

Sixty-percent of the world’s geysers are found in Yellowstone National Park, but none more famous than Old Faithful. With soaring bursts that erupt about every 90 minutes, it is one of the parks most predictable geysers. In 1870, members of an expedition team led by General Washburn were so amazed by its predictability they named it Old Faithful.

Come relax in this comfortable lodge boasting incredible views. Here, the 60-foot floor to ceiling windows frame pristine Jackson Lake and the majestic Teton Range with breathtaking vistas as far as the eye can see. The view alone is worththe visit.

Day 15 Grand Teton National Park

Begin your day with a scenic cruise on Jackson Lake, then join your Adventure Guides on a Grand Teton Exploration to learn about the park, which boasts 310,000 acres of lush valley, mountain meadows, alpine lakes, and majestic mountains. Nomadic Indians, Native American tribes, early American explorers, and permanent settlers once called this national park home.

Explore the Craig Thomas Discovery Center, Jenny Lake Visitor Center, and Jackson Lake Lodge for spectacular views of the Teton Range. Cap off the day at the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson Hole. In the evening, celebrate your amazing journey with fellow travelers during a farewell dinner.

Stop at this visitor center, with the Teton Mountain Range providing a beautiful backdrop. Enjoy a variety of exhibits and artwork with the interwoven themes of place, people, preservation, and mountaineering, including a collection of Native American Indian artifacts. A raised relief map of the park provides a birds-eye-view of the valley, canyons, lakes and peaks. Attend a Ranger Talk, during which you can learn more about the region and even get some stargazing tips.

This remarkable Visitor Center is housed in the historic Crandall Studio, built in the late 1920s, serving as Harrison Crandall's photography studio. Here, he sold photographs and postcards of the Teton Range as park mementos and was the park’s official photographer. Capturing the spirit of Crandall, today the Jenny Lake Visitor Center serves as an art gallery and museum, illustrating the role that art has played in the conservation of the Teton Range.

Built on the hillside overlooking the National Elk Refuge, the museum holdings a collection of over 5,000 artworks representing wild animals from around the world. Featuring work by prominent artists such as Georgia O’Keeffe, Andy Warhol, and John James Audubon, the museum’s unsurpassed permanent collection chronicles much of the history of wildlife in art from 2500 B.C.E. to the present.

Day 16 Jackson, WY

After breakfast, American Cruise Lines will transfer you to the Jackson Hole Airport to begin your travels home.